Evaporating pan



C. E. ROGERS.

EVAPORATING PAN.

APPUCATIQN F|LED1AN.25,19|9.

Patented May 30, 1922.

1 C t n a u n n@ attenua? Awiththe steam line.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES E. ROGERS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN .i

EVAPORATING PAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patentedy May 3o, 1922.

Application le. January 25, 1919. Serial No. 273,023.

troit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Evaporating Pans, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and

`exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to evaporating pans for the condensing ofQmilk or'other Huids, and its object is to provide a heating unit of higher efficiency than is attained by the usual construction, the efiiciency being attained by the provision of heating coils of a character and arrangement to practically prevent water in the coil. In the usual condensation of steam coils heretofore used in vacuum pans, the coils at the inlet end are much hotter than the outlet end due to the steam being.`

condensed before it reaches the outlet. A further object of this invention is to provide a steam heating unit that is practically of the same temperature throughout its length and preventing the caking'of the fluid on the4 coils,- and a further object is to provide a heating unit formed of several superimposed parts each independently connected These and other objects and the several novel features of the invention in its preferred form are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the which- Y g Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the lower end of an evaporating pan showing my lmproved heating unit. l

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section througlrthe pan showing the heating unit in plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail of a supporting bracket. In the ordinary evaporating pan now in use, the heating coil is made of several turns on a spiral from the inlet to the outlet, there usually being y an inner and 'an outer coil. Such type of coil lacks eiciency due to the fact that the steam condenses in the lower or discharge end of the coil whereby the said end of the coil is much cooler than at the .inlet end and the entire surface of the coil is therefore not uniformly efficient in the accompanying drawings :in

radiation of heat. A further diiculty in the usual coil is that iuid, as milk for instance, being condensed in the pan cooks on the coils, particularly the cooler portions of the coils. To obviate these difficulties and to secure a coil that is more highly eiiicient in operation I have provided a heating system formed of several independent units each individually connected-with the steam line. In the drawings the pan is indicated at 1 provided with the usual base 2 and, within this cylindrical portion of the pan, I have provided the heating coils 3. As shown in plan view, each unit is preferably formed of an inner and an outer coil 4 and 5 which form nearly a complete circle. These two coils may be of the same or dilferent sizes and the ends of the two coils are united in common header members 6 and 7 providing an inlet and outlet for the compound coil to the steam line as indicated in dotted lines a in the drawings. The outlet is provided with a steam trap indicated by dotted lines b. Each unit is identical in form and one unit is placed with the inlet' and outlet on one side of thepan I and the next succeeding unit is adapted to be connected with the steam line through the opposite side of the pan l. The purpose of this arrangement is to avoid the formation of a space between the two end members 6 and 7 for the full length of the pan that would be unprovided with the heat. By disposing the coils as stated, the gap between the ends of one coil is adjacent the closed and heating portion of the other. *Each coil being of one turn and independently connected with the steam line is practically uniformly heated throughout its length and the condensation is moved out of the coil with the steam, while in the usuall used the heat' falling below such necessary' temperature allows the Huid to cook onto the ing of the fluid on the coils is entirely obviated. It is to be noted that l have arranged the several independent coils in superimposed relation. A further object of the invention is secured by this arrangement inasmuch as heat may be turned onto the vacuum pan more quickly in starting the operation and turned off earlier at the completion of the operation than with the special type of coils heretofore used. This will be readily understood in that when the bottom coil is covered by fluid on initially filling the pan, steam may be turned thereonto and then onto each succeeding coil as it becomes covered. rlhis allows starting the heating as soon as'the lirst coil is covered. Also as the luid becomes condensed and the upper coil becomes uncovered, due to the fall in level of the liquid, the heat may be turned ed' from the said coil and from succeeding coils as the level of liquid falls therebelow.

ln a system of this kind the coils expand upon the admission of steam and contract as they become cooled and thus have some slight relative movement one to the other. '.lherefore, to support. these coils and allow for the necessar expansion and contraction thereof1 in use, have provided a standard 8 on opposite sides of the pan which may be provided with a foot 9 welded to the bottom of the pan 'as indicated in F ig. 1. This standard is composite in form and consists of a series of rods 10 vof short lengths, the lower one of which is brazed to the bottom of the pan, and on the end of each rod is placed a bracket 11 which is recessed at the bottom to receive the endof the lower,` rod and at the top to receive the lower end of rods permits considerable latitude of movement in the coils.

Preferably, Athese tubes 4 and 5 are of f copper and at each end are braced onto the prolpectin'g portions provided on the cast header members 6 and 7. The coils, however, may be made in any approved manner without departing from the spirit of this invention, the essential characteristic ot which is the formation 'of the heating element in separate unitscach individually connected with the steam line. With the character of construction above outlined the exhaust line ot the steam plant may be utilined inthe heating of the coils and whereby the cost ot operation of the vacuum pan maybe materially reduced.

.ha heretofore stated, the coils are prefer- Larissa ably composite consisting of a plurality of concentric members and in general by the word coil as herein used is meant a unit which may consist of a single member or a plurality of concentric members. The single member (independently connected with the steam line as here shown) will be found useful in the smaller condensing pans and, as the size of the pan is increased the number of concentric members Jforming a single unit or coil may be increased in order to provide an adequate heating surface. Where several concentric units are utilized, the several members are united to a common inlet and a common outlet. Preferably, the inlet is comparatively large in diameter. ln

what is known as a six foot vacuum pan it may be up to four inches in diameter to provide maximum volume of steam. By forming a heating unit of a single lturn from the inlet to the outlet and with a steam trap on the outlet end, a nearly uniform pressure of steam may be Amaintained in each coil. f

Having thus brieily described my invern tion, its construction and utility-what l claim is .1. An evaporating pan for the condensing of milk or other fluids comprising the combination with the pan, of a series of steam heating coils in superimposed relation, each coil being independent of the others and making practically a single' turn about the pan from the inlet to the outlet, the space between the coil ends of one unit being on the opposite side of the pan'from that of an adjacent unit.

2. An evaporating pan for the condensing of milk or'other fluids comprising the combination with the pan, jot a series of inderelation, each unit being independently connected with the steam line and consisting of an inner and an outer coil, the two coils being connected together at adjacent ends to a com'- nion inlet and a common outlet, the space between the coil ends of one unit being on the opposite side of the pan from that of an adjacent unit.

3. In a pan for evaporating milk or other fluids, the combination with the pan and steam line therefor of a heating element comprising a series 4of independent units, each connected with the steam line, each unitl comprising an innerand outer coil forming nearly a complete circle, the two coils being connected together at the adjacent ends to a common inlet and a common. outlet respectively, and a steam trap for the outlet of each independent unit.

l. in evaporating apparatus, the combination. with a pan and vsteam line therefor of a series of steam coils in superimposed spaced relation, each coil consisting of a single turn from an inlet to an outlet and each being inpendent steam heating coils in superimposed dependently connected with the steam line, each steam coil having an independent discharge line, and a steam trap in each discharge line.

5. A heating device for evaporating pans consisting of a series of superimposed steam units, each independently connected with the steam line and each comprising a plurality of concentric coils of nearly a complete turn, and a common header for each end of the coils of a unit, said headers each being connected with the steam line.

6. An evaporating pan for the condensing of milk or other iulds comprising in combination with the pan, a series of coils in superimposed relation each coil being independently connected With a supply line exteriorly of the pan making practically a complete turn about the pan from the inlet to the outlet, and a steam trap in each outlet.

7. In evaporating apparatus in combination with the pan and steam line thereof, of a heating element comprising a series of independent units, each unit comprising a plurality of concentric coils forming nearly a complete circle, and a header common to one end of the coils providing a common inlet, a similar header common to the other end of the coils providing a common outlet, the inlet and outlet of one unit being on the opposite side of the pan from that of an adjacent unit.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specication.

' CHARLES E. ROGERS. 

